Chord Progression
vi-ii-V-I chord progression
a.k.a. Circle of Fifths
Walks down by fifths into the tonic.
The shape
vi — ii — V — I
In real keys
The chords, key by key.
Built on the major scale, so it lives in the 15 major keys. Every chord below links to its own page — shapes on six instruments, audio, and the mistakes to avoid. Hit play to hear the whole cycle.
All 15 keys
Need a key that is not listed? Use the transposer.
Analysis
What each numeral is doing.
Roman numerals name a chord by its position in the key rather than by its letter, which is why one progression works in every key. Uppercase is major, lowercase is minor, ° is diminished, ø is half-diminished, and a leading ♭ lowers the root a semitone.
- vi
Submediant
The relative minor. Same notes as the tonic, opposite mood.
- ii
Supertonic
The classic set-up chord — it leans on the dominant and rarely stands alone.
- V
Dominant
Maximum tension. The leading tone inside it pulls hard back to the tonic.
- I
Tonic
Home. Everything is measured against it and everything wants to return to it.
Heard it before
Songs built on Circle Progression.
- Fly Me to the Moon
Why it works
The reason it sticks.
Walks down by fifths into the tonic. The memorable part is the motion: each chord pulls toward the next in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable, and the cycle closes cleanly enough that you can loop it for three minutes without anyone getting bored.
Once the Circle Progression pattern is in your ear you will start hearing it everywhere. That is not a coincidence — writers reach for it because the tension-and-release shape is doing the emotional work before the melody even arrives. Change the key and nothing about that changes; only the letters do.
Next
Related jazz progressions
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What is the Circle Progression?
Circle Progression is a progression built on the vi, ii, V, I scale degrees of any major key. Walks down by fifths into the tonic.
What are the Circle Progression chords in C Major?
In C Major the progression is Am – Dm – G – C. The same shape transposes to all 15 major keys.
Which songs use the Circle Progression progression?
Fly Me to the Moon all use the Circle Progression progression in some form.
Is the Circle Progression progression hard to play?
Difficulty: intermediate. The 4-bar cycle repeats predictably, so once the chord shapes are under your fingers the progression flows on its own.
Can I transpose Circle Progression to another key?
Yes — that is the point of roman-numeral analysis. Every key on this page is the same progression; pick the one that suits your voice or your open chords.